Grab a growler for brewery-fresh beer

Care for a tour of a brewery to get a first-hand experience of how the beer is made and then take home some freshly brewed beverage?

The state excise department has decided to relax its rules to make this actually happen in the coming days. It will soon open up the world of growlers to connoisseurs, to let them taste the freshest possible beer one can take home.

Growler is the beer that is bought at a factory outlet fresh out of the brewery and is taken away in an air-tight container, typically made out of glass, ceramic or aluminium. It has already become a trend in the West, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States.

The department recently decided to amend the Karnataka Excise (Brewery) Rules, 1967 to allow the sale of growler beer. Breweries have to apply for a licence to sell beer at their factory outlets.

The department has specified that the takeaway beer needs to be in 1.5-litre or two-litre containers.

The excise department’s decision to open up the growler concept is to keep up with the trends and the needs of beer connoisseurs, a senior official told DH. The state allowed the setting up microbreweries in 2010 where bars, pubs and hotels can manufacture a limited quantity of beer at their own premises. And ever since, microbreweries have caught on in the state, especially in Bengaluru.

“Growler beer is an innovative concept and as a progressive state, we too should be open to it,” the official said.

The beer stays fresh for two to three days and the same container can be used for a refill during the next visit to the brewery.

The amended rules also allow beer enthusiasts to take a tour of the brewery before taking away the beer. Breweries can start applying for licences once the final rules are notified.

Those who have tasted growler swear that there is nothing quite like the first sip of a beer that comes directly from the source.

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